Rydal Penrhos School's Remote Learning Policy.
INTRODUCTION
This policy seeks to ensure that, should unusual circumstances arise and traditional face-to-face interaction cease to be available, Rydal Penrhos School is equipped to put alternative arrangements in place swiftly for the provision of continuing education to its pupils.
This provision can be launched rapidly as a result of the use of established School systems (Microsoft Office 365 and, specifically, Microsoft Teams and Show My Homework), such that pupils may readily gain access via their existing School email and password. The situation is further enhanced by the distribution in October / November 2020 of a personal iPad on a loan basis to pupils in Year 3 and above, as well as to staff; the use of these iPads is elaborated in a separate iPad Protocol.
The School is seeking to future-proof itself against the unexpected closure of its premises, an event which could indeed occur in a variety of circumstances:
• an epidemic or pandemic, whatever the scale of the widespread occurrence of an infectious disease might be; • extreme weather conditions; • the failure of essential services, such as power or water; • the unavailability of parts of the premises as a result of fire or other kinds of material damage.
The policy also covers situations in which, although the School may remain fully open, a pupil may be unable to attend for whatever reason; should that pupil be in a position to continue with his or her education, it lays down the guidelines as to how he or she may be taught on a remote basis. It should also be read in conjunction with the following documents:
• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy; • Internet Acceptable Use Policy; • E Safety Policy; • iPad Protocol.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Senior Teacher:
ATH is responsible for the overall formulation and direction of this policy, as well as the general oversight of its execution, and it is to him that any enquiries should be directed in the first instance.
Deputy Head:
Rydal Penrhos School is committed to providing the best possible care and education for its pupils and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. In the light of this statement, AHI supervises the safeguarding implications of the execution of this policy.
IT Services Manager:
Effective remote learning makes significant demands upon ICT equipment and skills, and it is GRO who oversees this aspect of the requirements of the policy.
PREPARATION FOR REMOTE LEARNING
Should circumstances dictate that a period of remote learning take place, staff will be in a position:
• to have access to Microsoft Teams for Classes, with their respective teaching classes already populated; • to be familiar with the main functions of Microsoft Teams (see Appendix 2); • to be able to host a Teams Meeting (to include video and/or audio) with their classes, either from their classrooms or from home; • to have access to a suitable device in their classroom or, in the event of closure, they should be able to make use of suitable equipment and a Broadband connection at home. Should this not be the case, the School will supply them with a device for the appropriate period of time.
Training in preparation for the above has been and will continue to be provided during staff meetings and/or professional development time.
Staff should ensure that:
• they have received the necessary training to enable them to teach remotely in an effective manner. Should they feel this not to be the case, they should contact the IT Services Manager; • their computer-based teaching resources are accessible from home (via Microsoft Teams, OneDrive or OneNote); • they have access at home to any key resources which are not available online, such as textbooks and support materials; • they have suitable ICT facilities at home. Should they feel this not to be the case, they should contact the IT Services Manager.
Pupils will be able:
• to gain access to the Microsoft Teams which cover the whole of their curricular provision; • to receive Teams introduction and refresher sessions (and specific Teams Meetings instruction) during a form tutor period (see Appendix 5).
Form tutors should check that pupils have the necessary facilities at home to permit them to benefit from remote learning, and that these facilities will indeed be readily available to them for use at the appropriate times.
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
In that prior communication is key to the effective delivery of remote learning, and it will prove essential to advise both parents and pupils as to the form and content of this alternative strategy. Expectations as to pupil participation, as well as timetable and prep commitments, must be made clear from the outset.
Parents will find the following information useful:
• a copy of their child’s timetable, and this can be supplied by email; • email contact details for their child’s teachers, which can also be sent to them by email; • any work or prep set for each subject, which they can find as usual via Show My Homework; • Guidance on ‘How to set up Teams’ on their computer/device.
REMOTE LEARNING - FORMAT
The School will make provision on a daily basis for remote contact between pupils and their teachers in two formats:
• the allocation of work to be tackled independently which enables the pupils to make progress; • subject meetings and form meetings over the course of the school week
However, the School is mindful of the challenges of operating in an unfamiliar environment, in that:
• online learning operates to a very different dynamic • some subjects and activities do not lend themselves well to remote learning.
It is most likely that adjustments will have to be made to timetables during periods of remote learning, and these will be communicated to parents, pupils and staff in good time. Experience has shown that, during periods of full school closure, pupils have found it demanding to cope with six different subject periods a day, this requiring them to devote substantial amounts of time and energy to their personal organisation. In such circumstances, the usual régime of six fifty-minute periods per day may be reduced to four sessions of one hour fifteen minutes.
There is an expectation that members of the teaching staff will be available to teach during their normal working hours; should this not be possible for any reason, they should contact the Deputy Head.
REMOTE LEARNING – PRACTICE & RECOMMENDATIONS
• Show My Homework (SMHW) will be the main hub for setting work.
- classwork for each timetabled lesson and prep (if appropriate) that can be submitted online will be set through SMHW, and feedback given online. This may also be done via other regularly-used subject portals; - with regard to reasonable expectations, work should not be set on SMHW in the morning for completion prior to an online session later in that same day; - tasks should ideally be as engaging as possible so as to motivate the pupils in the absence of face-to-face contact with their teacher; quantity of work: this is extremely difficult to gauge, and will inevitably require a degree of trial and error with each teaching group in order to balance quantity, quality and reasonable expectations; - the most vulnerable pupils here are those in Years 11, 12 and 13, of whom too much could easily be asked on the basis of their being more independent learners. It is to be expected that it will take them longer to grasp fresh content when it is not being directly presented to them by staff, so this should be taken into account when setting work; - ideally, any work set should be designed for completion in a maximum of 1 hour 15 minutes; - extension tasks for the more able pupils should be available. - instructions given on SMHW must be clear and concise. • Microsoft Teams will be the single hub for all remote learning interaction - all pupils are expected to attend Microsoft Teams meetings. However, they should be able to complete their tasks with reference only to the material provided on SMHW; - Microsoft Teams meetings allow teachers to host video and audio calls, and to invite automatically the members of their classes to participate (the pupils join by clicking the relevant meeting invitation in the appropriate Class Team or on their personal Calendar); - each Meeting must be recorded for easy cloud access at a future date and time, this particularly for those pupils who live overseas and whose local time zone prevents their attending the live lesson. A recording is also essential from the safeguarding point of view; - screen-sharing allows teachers to show the class what is displayed on their screen, as well as any open documents. However, colleagues should be careful as to exactly what is visible on their screens at any such times; - if remote working/learning is taking place nationally, there may be bandwidth restrictions across the UK internet spine. In this event, limiting the Teams Meetings to audio-only might prove to be necessary.
COMMUNICATION
• to contact pupils by email, only School email addresses may be used, for safeguarding purposes; • remote learning inevitably leads to a substantial increase in email traffic, so colleagues should consider carefully whom they need to copy in to their messages; • should a colleague be unsure as to how to respond to a parental email, a holding response should be sent, and advice sought from the individual’s line manager or a senior colleague. WELLBEING
In that being based at home to conduct remote learning throws all involved out of the comfort zone of their normal routine, it is important that colleagues remember to consider their own wellbeing, hence the following suggestions:
• making space – staff should ensure that they regularly put aside periods of time when they put themselves out of touch, by switching off email notifications, Microsoft Teams etc; • helping others – many of the colleagues who have helped out at the Prep School during the period of remote teaching have found that it has been beneficial to their wellbeing. Anyone who would like to be involved should contact LDA (ldavies@rydalpenrhos.com); • meditation – free access for educators to the Headspace app is now available via the following link: https://www.headspace.com/educators; • talking things over – the Chaplain is always available to staff. Please contact him at this email address: ncsissons@rydalpenrhos.com, or by ‘phone on 07793 800410; • staying connected – some faculties have set up WhatsApp groups in which all mention of work is banned; • general advice – the Mental Health Foundation has a host of good advice on keeping well, and this which can be found at https://mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus.
This policy is subject to review on a biennial basis; however, it may require earlier revision in the light of any regulatory change which may come into force in the interim.
APPENDIX 1: REMOTE LEARNING – DAILY CHECKLIST TO COVER THE BASICS (SENIOR SCHOOL)
Prompt Done?
1. Tasks set for the coming day on Show My Homework? 2. Subject and/or Form Meetings scheduled on Microsoft Teams? 3. Pupils registered as attendees at all meetings, with the teacher as the ‘only presenter’? 4. Join the Microsoft Teams meeting two minutes before the scheduled start time? 5. Start the recording of the session? 6. Feedback provided in a timely fashion?
APPENDIX 2: REMOTE LEARNING – STAFF GUIDELINES & PROTOCOLS
The purpose of this protocol is to outline procedures and practice for staff in the event of the School campus being closed on the advice or instruction of the authorities, be they the UK or Welsh Government, Public Health Wales or the Police. The objective is that teaching staff should seek to provide the following for the benefit of the pupils:
• an engaging academic programme; • academic and pastoral support; • some form of remote contact with each individual pupil on a regular basis, as a form of reassurance.
Technical support:
• should any technical issues or problems with Microsoft Teams arise, please contact the IT Services Manager (GRO); • a regularly-updated guidance document covering technical issues is available via this link; • any questions relating to Show My Homework or Sam Learning should be directed to AMA; • AMA will be also pleased to provide advice about setting up and using Pearson Active Learn.
Organisation:
• timetables to indicate the timings of each online session will be emailed to pupils and parents. Any queries in relation to timetabling should be forwarded to RWI; • it is important to note at this juncture that, for the purposes of safeguarding, any communication with pupils must be made via approved School structures such as School email, Show My Homework or Microsoft Teams.
CONDUCTING AN ONLINE INTERACTIVE SESSION BY MEANS OF MICROSOFT TEAMS
Prior to the session:
• the appropriate professional dress should be worn so as to formalise (and indeed normalise) the interaction; • if working from home, no domestic background should be visible; there are options available under ‘settings’ in Microsoft Teams to inset a plain or customised background, or the actual background can be blurred; • it is the responsibility of the teacher to schedule subject and form meetings in advance on Microsoft Teams; • prior to starting a Microsoft Teams session, colleagues are advised to close down any non-teaching applications such as their email, lest inappropriate information be inadvertently revealed to the pupils; • colleagues should set themselves up as the ‘only presenter’ for each meeting. This is to ensure that the pupils are ‘attendees’ and cannot mute their teacher or remove a participant from the meeting; • it is imperative that every session be recorded, and this particularly for the teacher’s own protection in terms of safeguarding: o the recording process must be activated at the start of each session, and the recording will be stored in the Streams area of Microsoft Teams. No recording must be deleted, nor must it be shared outside the Rydal Penrhos Microsoft Teams environment; o at the subject teacher’s discretion, recordings of live online sessions can be made available for pupils to view on Microsoft Teams after the sessions have taken place. This can be useful both by way of recapitulation, and to enable pupils living in different time zones to view a recorded lesson; • the session should be started at least two minutes ahead of the scheduled time so as to permit timely joining.
During the session:
• standard classroom behaviour is to be anticipated of all participants, as per the Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions Policy. It is particularly important that all communication be appropriate and sensible, and pupils are reminded that they may not take screenshots or record the sessions by any means that may be available to them; • normal safeguarding procedures must be followed. Any concerns should be directed to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and recorded via CPOMs (see the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy for further details); • colleagues should not leave the session unattended at any point during its full timetabled duration. If no pupils are present, colleagues will be able to work legitimately on other things, but they should remain alert as to the possibility of pupils entering the session at any stage; • audio and video streams: o staff are encouraged to activate their video and audio chat wherever possible, so that pupils can both see them and hear their voice. Should anyone be uncomfortable with this, he or she should consult his or her line manager; o pupils will be allowed to activate their audio and camera once the session is underway, but they should always join with their audio muted and their cameras switched off. They should only enable these facilities when instructed to do so by their teacher. • Microsoft Teams provides the possibility for the teacher to share any applications that are open on his or her desktop (for example PowerPoint); this gives the opportunity to teach in a way which is similar to presenting in the classroom. By using the screen-sharing facility, colleagues can show extension tasks, solutions to tasks, examples of good work etc, whilst providing a simultaneous verbal commentary.
Ending the session:
• before formally ending a session, it is important to ensure that all pupils have left the session, in that colleagues act effectively as gatekeepers; • at this point, the recording facility may be turned off; • subsequent to the meeting, the recording may be made available to pupils.
Pupil engagement with remote learning:
• it is vital that all of the pupils engage with their learning, and this is far harder to gauge when one is not in a position to read their body language. It is intended that the pupils should be in the best possible position with their learning when the period of remote teaching comes to an end; • every Monday, by 18.00hrs, subject teachers will record on the Pupil Engagement Spreadsheet (a link to which will be provided by DRO) as to whether pupils have engaged with the remote learning that has taken place for their subject in the preceding week, and this by means of the following codes; o ‘YY’ will indicate that the individual has engaged, and this is defined as having both attended the Microsoft Teams meeting(s) and submitted work; o ‘YN’ or ‘NY’ can be used to indicate that a pupil has only engaged in one aspect of the remote learning process (Microsoft Teams meeting attendance, or submission of work); o ‘Y’ should be used and clarified with a comment, should a teacher be unsure as to which grade to record on the basis that the pupil has shown some minimal level of engagement; o ‘NN’ will state that the pupil has not engaged at all, and should be expanded by means of a comment. • Form Tutors, Heads of Key Stage and Heads of Faculty will monitor student engagement across all subjects: o Heads of Faculty should check the spreadsheet for completeness, and should chase up any missing data; o Form Tutors and Heads of School will check the spreadsheet on Wednesdays, and parents will be contacted by the Form Tutor or Head of School if there are concerns regarding the level of engagement and / or the completion of work.
Submission of work:
• it is important that pupils use SMHW to indicate that work has been completed, and this should be indicated by writing a comment on SMHW in the location in which the task has been set; • unless advised otherwise by the class teacher, work should be submitted digitally by pupils using SMHW. Other ways of submitting work include School email, Hegarty Maths, Dr Frost Maths, My Maths, Microsoft Teams, Pearson Progression or any of the other subject / learning platforms to which the School subscribes. If work has been submitted by any of these alternative means, pupils should also write a brief comment linked to the task that was set on SMHW to indicate that they have responded to the stimulus.
Provision of feedback:
• staff must provide the appropriate feedback in a timely manner, and this will in the main be delivered via SMHW, email and Microsoft Teams; alternatively, some departments use online platforms such as Hegarty Maths that give instant feedback, alongside opportunities for teachers to supply written feedback and links to helpful tutorials; • colleagues are encouraged to plan tasks and Microsoft Teams meetings such that effective feedback may be given without this absorbing too much time.
F.A.Qs
What can I do if I am having Internet speed issues?
• turning off initially video and eventually audio channels may improve situations in which Internet speed is having a negative impact upon communication.
Can I remove a student from an online session?
• this should not prove to be necessary for the context of our School, but there is a feature that can be used to remove an individual from a session. However, the pupil could re-enter the session, and the teacher cannot easily prevent his or her doing this during a live session at the moment;
APPENDIX 3: REMOTE LEARNING – AIDE-MÉMOIRE FOR SETTING SHOW MY HOMEWORK TASKS (SENIOR SCHOOL)
Are the instructions clear and concise?
• ensure that all possible queries and misunderstandings are anticipated and covered, such that your presence when the pupils are reading the instructions will not be required; • pupils should not have to wait for the next Microsoft Teams meeting in order seek clarification.
How long will it take pupils to complete the task?
• is it possible that they could spend too long on the task (particularly the weaker pupils)? • tip – multiply the maximum possible completion time by four. Some tasks that have been set on SMHW with the indication that they will take three hours to complete, and this in the instance of the pupil only having one lesson per week in that subject; • will pupils be able to complete the task in less than thirty minutes? This is really too short, so extension work should be available: • rules of thumb: o Years 7 – 10: the maximum time spent completing a task should be 1 hour 15 minutes (including attendance at the online session); o Year 11: the maximum time for the completion of a task should be 50 minutes per lesson; o Years 12 – 13: the maximum amount of time to complete a task should be 60 minutes per lesson.
Have I thought about how I will give feedback?
• does the task make it easy to give effective feedback? • is there anything that can be changed in order to make the provision of feedback more manageable?
What other resources will I be attaching to the task?
• over a period of time, is it a whole range of resources that are being provided, or only a narrow span? • pupils should have access to any such resources via SMHW, and should not have to wait until a Microsoft Teams session takes place; • possible resources include a PowerPoint presentation, a link to a video, a PDF or Word document, or a link to a website.
Is there a key question that could drive the task forwards in a helpful way?
• a ‘big question’ can be used to frame the session; • is there an interesting and valid debate within the subject that might provide a hook?
Which aspects of the material do pupils tend to struggle with or misunderstand? How can I plan for this in advance?
• the instructions might benefit from a slower delivery; • definitions of key terms can be provided at the outset; • worked examples can be drawn up; • the opportunity could be provided for the pupils to pause to reflect, or maybe to recap at significant stages in the process.
Which key concept(s) am I introducing for the first time, or will I need pupils to recall?
• definitions of key terms can be provided at the outset; • a recap could aid the pupils’ recall of previous learning which is relevant; • new concepts could be broken down and introduced in smaller, more digestible steps; • do the prepared resources actually succeed in supporting the learning as intended?
How will I check for understanding and provide feedback?
• at the Subject meeting, via whole-class feedback, questions and answer sessions, and worked solutions; • electronically, by work submitted online via SMHW and / or email; • by checking pupils’ self-marked scores.
APPENDIX 4: REMOTE LEARNING – AIDE-MÉMOIRE FOR MICROSOFT TEAMS SUBJECT MEETINGS (SENIOR SCHOOL)
Have the meetings been set up on Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) in advance?
• it is worth checking every day that the meetings for the following day are correctly scheduled; • meetings can be set up as ‘recurring meetings’ on a weekly basis.
Are the pupils registered as attendees at all of your Subject and Form Meetings?
• the member(s) of staff should be the ‘only presenter(s)’.
At the beginning of the meeting, a recording must be started.
• would it help to set a reminder to do this on the individual’s ‘phone? • a PowerPoint slide can usefully be on display as the pupils join the meeting to show the ground rules for MS Teams meetings, to include the following by way of example: o this meeting is being recorded; o please keep your microphone muted unless asked to do otherwise by your teacher; o if you have a question, use ‘chat’ to let the teacher know; o excellent behaviour is expected at all times.
Is a starter-type activity available which will engage the pupils?
• a ‘big question’ can be deployed to frame the session; • is there an interesting and valid debate within the subject which might provide a ‘hook’?
What other resources will be used during this meeting, and is there a reliable back-up plan?
• it is important to have a back-up available when using on-line resources such as those provided by Pearson, in case the website goes down; • PowerPoint can be used to share teacher notes, pupil work and worked examples. Via screen-sharing, slides can be annotated during the presentation, although this can prove to be messy; • if sharing a video during a session, be aware that the quality may be compromised, hence it is advisable to share a link to the video via MS Teams; • with regard to physical resources, are there opportunities to be creative? Possibilities include: o paper or mini-whiteboards; o for Maths, counters, matchsticks, boxes etc.; o for English, books; o for Science, kitchen equipment, plants, bugs etc.
• the instructions might benefit from a slower delivery; • definitions of key terms can be provided at the outset; • worked examples can be drawn up; • consider whether it is possible to anticipate common misconceptions and to clarify them ahead of their arising; • the opportunity could be provided for the pupils to pause to reflect, or maybe to recap at significant stages in the process.
• definitions of key terms can be provided at the outset; • a recap could aid the pupils’ recall of previous learning; • new concepts could be broken down and introduced in smaller, more digestible steps; • do the prepared resources actually succeed in supporting the learning as intended?
• at the Subject meeting, there are opportunities via whole-class feedback, questions and answer sessions, worked solutions, exemplar material, a sometimes / always / never true quiz. Answers can be submitted on chat, leaving the appropriate time for thought before the reveal; • electronically, this can be in the form of work submitted online via SMHW and / or email; • by checking pupils’ self-marked scores.
APPENDIX 5: REMOTE LEARNING – PUPIL GUIDELINES & PROTOCOLS
The purposes of this guidance are to outline procedures and practices for pupils in order that they may continue with an engaging academic programme, receive support from their teachers, and maintain contact whilst the School campus has to remain closed on the advice/instruction of the Government and/or Public Health Wales.
Rules to follow during a Microsoft Teams session:
• a classroom standard of behaviour is expected of all participants; • pupils must not record staff or other pupils during any online conversation. During Microsoft Teams sessions, screenshots or any recording of the session by any means is strictly forbidden; • every Microsoft Teams session will be recorded by the teacher and stored securely on Microsoft Teams; • the recording of the session may subsequently be shared by your teacher, if it is thought that it could be useful for pupils to revisit the lesson, or to provide access for pupils who were unable to attend the live session; • pupils should take advantage of this opportunity to put any questions that they might have. Technical support:
• Any technical issues or questions should be directed to Gareth Robinson at ithelpdesk@rydalpenrhos.com.
FAQs
• turning off initially video and subsequently audio channels may improve situations in which Internet speed is having a negative impact.
Will I be able to share video/audio during sessions in the future?
• this is not currently possible, and is a question that the School will be reviewing on a weekly basis.
What do I do if the session is not activated, or the teacher is not available?
• you should email that teacher, and also contact or copy in Mr Thomas at ajthomas@rydalpenrhos.com. What should I do if I am unable to log on because I am having technical issues?
• please email your subject teacher to let him or her know that you are having technical problems. Alternatively, contact ithelpdesk@rydalpenrhos.com if you feel that they may be able to help.
Can I use Microsoft Teams on my Smartphone?
• an app is available from the Appstore and via the Google Play store; you can use Microsoft Teams via a web browser, on a PC, a laptop, a smartphone or a tablet. Depending on the device, some of the features may be limited, but the optimum version is the desktop app.
APPENDIX 6: REMOTE LEARNING – TEMPORARY SCHOOL CLOSURE, SPRING 2020
The purpose of this guidance document is to outline procedures and practice for staff, pupils and their parents such that the School is able to continue with its academic programme whilst the campus has to remain closed on the basis of advice received from the Government and from Public Health Wales.
With effect from the beginning of the Summer Term 2020, changes to the structure of the School timetable will be as follows:
Year 7 to 10 Timetables
• Years 7 to 10 will be working on the basis of revised timetables which will be emailed to pupils and parents; • subject teachers will set tasks in line with the new revised timetable via Show My Homework (SMHW) by 08:45hrs on each school day. Members of staff will also be available for consultation online at allocated times (as indicated on the revised timetable) on Microsoft Teams for Subject Meetings/feedback/support, or effectively whatever the individual may require; • Form Meetings and year-group sessions will take place via Microsoft Teams; the timings of these sessions will be indicated on the pupil timetables. Year 11 Timetables
• over the period during which teaching continues, subject teachers will set tasks in line with the pupil’s normal timetable via Show My Homework by 08:45hrs on each school day; • work will be set in order to ensure that pupils will have completed the GCSE syllabus; • in some subjects, the syllabus will have been completed, and pupils will therefore be set past paper questions, assessments and revision tasks so as to ensure that they achieve an effective overview of the course; • with effect from a published date, Year 11 pupils will move into the Transitional Sixth, and this will provide preparation courses for Year 12.
Year 12 Timetables
• subject teachers will set tasks in line with the pupil’s normal timetable via SMHW by 08:45hrs on each school day; • timetables detailing the arrangements for online sessions will be emailed to pupils and parents. Subject teachers will interact with pupils via the Microsoft Teams platform. Any changes to the times of the sessions will be communicated to pupils and parents on the Friday prior to the week in which these amendments will take place; • Form Meetings and year-group sessions will take place via Microsoft Teams; the timings of these sessions will be indicated on the pupil’s timetable. Year 13 Timetables
• over the period during which teaching continues, subject teachers will set tasks in line with the pupil’s normal timetable via Show My Homework by 08:45hrs on each school day; • work will be set in order to ensure that pupils will have completed the A Level syllabus; • in some subjects, the syllabus will have been completed, and pupils will therefore be set past paper questions, assessments and revision tasks so as to ensure that they achieve an effective overview of the course; • with effect from a published date, Year 13 pupils will move on to a “Classroom to Campus” course which will provide support to prepare them for the transition to Higher Education.